


The Goblin King

by AroAceMess



Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Trans Character, David’s dead name is used a lot, I made David’s dead name Diana since there isn’t a canon one, Kinda historical/period dramaish setting, Lack of Communication, M/M, Matteo is confused, Not Beta Read, Period Typical Attitudes, he is also misgendered by his family + community, not by Matteo n’ the gang though really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-03-17 13:57:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18966631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AroAceMess/pseuds/AroAceMess
Summary: ‘You could always propose a trade you know.’ Matteo lent in close to the trembling woman ‘a life for a life and all that’ her fear seemed to lessen a little and she took in a deep shuddering breath.‘My daughter, you can have my daughter.‘...In which Matteo is the goblin king (the beast) and David is apparently a lady Diana which confuses Matteo to no end. The truth is ugly and communication doesn’t exist and Matteo just wants to know why everyone is insisting the handsome lord who has captured his attention is not a lord at all.





	1. Little lady, little lord

**Author's Note:**

> Completely self indulgent beauty and the beast au because I can. Big massive warning that David is dead named and misgendered by his mother and other members of his community but not by Matteo or the squad. 
> 
> Kinda a period piece, definitely more old fashions values and speech so if you don’t like that sort of thing this ain’t for you buddy!! Otherwise I hope you enjoy

Sometimes, alone in his crumbling tower staring out over the forest prison entrapping his home, Matteo will remember how life was before. How he was before. 

He had been an arrogant bastard, crown prince and an entitled little brat. He’d shown no care for the staff, no care for Courtesans, no care for the score of princesses and later princes trying to impress his fickle mind. He was more interested in getting drunk and getting high and playing board games with his butler than anything else. 

He vaguely remembers he was handsome too, blonde hair in the fashionable cut of the time (he doesn’t know if it has changed, doesn’t care) blue eyes and a charming enough face. He’d been a little out of shape from his more destructive pastimes but still relatively in shape due to all the horse riding and sword fighting that comes with being a prince. Now however his days of being a desired bachelor were over, his days of being anything but a horror to scare children into behaving were over. 

While there were no longer any mirrors in his castle he could see his reflection clear as day whenever he closed his eyes. He was a hulking brute, more beast than man, like the Minotaur from the classics his tutors had once bored him with but if it had been half sheep instead of bull. 8 feet tall covered in curly golden hair with cloven hooves and a half human face. Head weighed down by curling rams horns, at least he still had hands. He was in every sense of the word a monster. 

He had many names now, prince Matteo had been erased from the minds of the masses his legacy razed to the ground, the hill man, brachial, the beast, the goblin king. All accompanied by 100 stories from 100 different mouths. He had heard some of them, his staff would occasionally venture down to the nearby village and bring back stories of him they would tell him them through their laughter and sometimes he would laugh too. They were never true. 

He lived this monotonous existence, counting down the days till this would be proper permanence with the dropping of each petal on his cursed rose, resigned to live like this for the rest of his pathetic life. It was all his fault, if he hadn’t‘ve been so vain so arrogant he may have been in a different position right now. 

So he lived his pathetic existence in the solitude of his library’s and gardens with only his men and women servants turned goblins turned friends, until one day in the middle of one of the harshest autumns ever to threaten his gardens. 

He had been eating with the chef Carlos in the kitchens when Abdi one of the grounds keepers had skidded into the room breathless and sweaty. ‘Travel - oh god my lungs - traveler, there’s a traveler in the gardens.’ He’d clapped him on the back a few times to help him with his breath. ‘She’s going after the roses sire.’ And with that he’d unceremoniously got to his feet and swept out of the kitchen coattails swinging as he went. No one touched his roses. 

As much as he trusted Abdi he’s half expected to find his gardens empty when he got there but low and behold there was a middle age woman on her hands and knees next to his rose bush plucking out gold spun flowers with bleeding hands. He had waited a moment to see if she would notice him before walking up behind him and twisting her arm behind her back causing her to drop her basket and cry out in alarm. 

‘I do not appreciate thieves, you will be coming with me now.’ He snarled at her around his uncomfortably large teeth and saw her go white with fear ‘You - your real.’ He smiled at her slow and sharp ‘as real as a fairytale mam’ 

It was hours later when he was sat outside the cell he’d thrown her in that she began to beg. She had three daughters and her husband had died so she was all they had, she’d heard about his golden roses and thought she could sell them to help her daughters. There names were Laura Sara and Diana, why she thought he would care was beyond him, she spoke endlessly of Laura’s kindness and Sara’s talent and Diana’s beauty as if it would help. She wept and wept pleading for forgiveness and asking to be let out, fear tangible in every word. 

After a while he grew tired of her pleading and burst into her cell ‘You could always propose a trade you know.’ Matteo lent in close to the trembling woman ‘a life for a life and all that’ her fear seemed to lessen a little and she took in a deep shuddering breath. 

‘My daughter, you can have my daughter. Diana. I must warn you though she’s sick in the head.’ He quirked the longer patch of fur that would’ve been an eyebrow on a normal man, she didn’t elaborate.

‘You have 24 hours, if you or your daughter aren’t back here by then. Let’s just say hell hath no fury like a beast scorned.’ He let her go and she ran into the forest, he really hoped she held up her end of the bargain he would hate to have to hunt her down over stolen roses. 

...

He awoke the next morning at some ungodly hour before dawn to pounding on the main doors, he grumbled all the way out of bed into his robes and down the great staircase before flinging the doors open to find a man seemingly forcibly laced into some tulle skirted monstrosity with a long wig at his feet that he’d obviously shaken off his head and bound at the wrists and ankles, ‘Diana?’ He asked and it really was a question. Either the mother was delusional and had managed to convince herself that her son was girl or she’d kidnapped some random man bound him and forced him into her daughters clothes. But the man had a sad sort of rage in his eyes as he sighed. 

‘Yes I am Diana, third daughter of the Schreibner family and your apparent prisoner now.’ Matteo didn’t miss the wince when the man had said daughter. He decided to push further as he led the man by the arm into the foyer. ‘Is there something the matter you seem very uncomfortable.’ The man, and he refused to believe that they were Diana, looked at him in familiar shock. ‘Why do you care’ and it was Matteo’s turn to wince. 

‘You may technically be my prisoner and all but that doesn’t mean I’m going to make your life a living hell, it’s bad enough you are forced to live with a beast like me it would be unfair of me to make you uncomfortable.’ The man gave him a quizzical look. 

‘Fair enough I guess, to my mother and the rest of the world I am lady Diana Schreibner.’ Matteo couldn’t miss the disgust in his tone when he said that name. ‘But I am no lady I assure you it’s just no one will believe me when I tell them I’m a lord. I am a man.’ His last words were said with a tired emphasis of someone who’d said them far to often and never had them believed. 

‘Ok then, apologies my lord for any inconvenience caused I’m going to ask you again. Who are you.’ The man fixed him with a wicked smile and bright eyes and he felt his heart do some funny things. ‘My name is lord David Schreibner, could I bother you for some proper clothing and the removal of these damned bindings.’ Upstairs he thinks another petal has fallen off the damned rose, if the stabbing pain in his gut was any indicator. 

He had shown David to where he would be living and promised that one of his maids Amira would be along with some more appropriate clothing within the hour if he wanted to bathe and whatnot in the meantime. Had told him that lunch would be brought to his rooms at midday and he was free to roam as long as he stayed away from the north tower and not try to enter locked rooms. Dinner would be served at eight and he should tell Amira wether or not he would be taking it in his room or with Matteo downstairs. And with that he left sweeping off to his chambers. 

...

Jonas was waiting in his room for him sat at the desk pushed up in the corner scribbling into a small book with an ostentatiously large peacock quill that Matteo vaguely remembers belonged to his fathers sixth wife, or maybe seventh he lost track at some point. He makes to ask Jonas what he is doing but he just points to the rose sat on the window ledge encased in glass. He had been correct, another petal had fallen leaving only five left on the flower. He huffs through his nose.

‘I have no idea why you insist on recording every time a damn petal falls, there’s no use in it anymore. No one could fall for a monster like me, it’s not like there is anyone here to fall for me.’ Jonas just hums and continues writing. 

‘What about that lady that woman swapped her life for, Diana?’ The hope in Jonas’ voice is palpable but very weak, they both knew that even before his transformation he’d never really been into women. He fidgets for a moment before he corrects him though.

‘Ah, about that.’ Jonas’ head snaps up ‘our good lady Diana is actually our good lord David, his mother seems to be delusional she thinks her son is a girl. Perhaps caused by the death of the husband?’ Jonas shrugs but he doesn’t miss the way Jonas’ eyes light up as he talks, he stands up from the desk and marches over to Matteo standing on tip toe to clap him on the shoulder.

‘Well then, there is hope yet my friend.’ When Amira swings by to tell him David will be joining them for supper he can’t help but agree.


	2. We all have our skeletons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He almost trips and falls from how giddy he feels as he descends the grand staircase, David is waiting for him at the bottom. His suit is black with a black shirt and tie and no tuxedo, there is also a thin golden chain around his neck that has definitely been made from the roses in his gardens, he’s the prettiest thing Matteo’s seen in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little angsty boys so brace yourselves, not too angsty though as it’s impossible for me to put them through too much pain. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Matteo feels strange in a way he hasn’t for years now, Matteo feels nervous. Jonas can see it in the worried hunch of his shoulder and in how he looses half of his lunch in their poker game when normally he’d be taking half of jonas’ he can see it in the way he asks hans for help when dressing for the evening meal. 

Hans is almost too enthusiastic to help and enlists the over eager Kiki to aid him in his selection dragging up piles of formal suits Matteo had asked him to make all those years ago when the hope of finding love had been fresh and hot in his mind, most of them he’d never worn. Hell, most of them he’d never seen. 

He axes the ones in bright shades of green and pink and powder blues straight off the bat, next go the creams and the whites. Hans himself throws aside a few he deems too out of fashion or somber for a dinner and then one in a mustard yellow that matteo had managed to miss. ‘I don’t know what you were thinking with that one Hans, mustard yellow with lime green accents.’ Hans just grimaces ‘I think Kiki and I were board and used a darts board to make decisions for us with that one.’ 

Finally they settle on a simple suit of a black jacket and trousers with a white shirt and burgundy tuxedo, he can’t really wear ties anymore so instead a burgundy ascot is tied around his neck and tucked into his shirt, just before he leaves Hans blows him a kiss and says ‘good luck butterfly’ and if he could blush he probably would. 

He almost trips and falls from how giddy he feels as he descends the grand staircase, David is waiting for him at the bottom. His suit is black with a black shirt and tie and no tuxedo, there is also a thin golden chain around his neck that has definitely been made from the roses in his gardens, he’s the prettiest thing Matteo’s seen in years. He startled as he notices Matteo making his way down the stairs and chuckles slightly, ‘I would’ve waited for you in the dining room but I haven’t the foggiest how to get there so I thought I ought just to wait for you.’ As Matteo reaches him david links their arms ‘be a gentleman and escort me.’ 

It’s all Matteo can do to nod, his tongue turned to lead in his mouth. As they walk david tells him of his explorations of the day ‘I spent most of it in your gardens, you have so many magical plants that I’ve only read about in my fathers notes - he was a botanist and fascinated with magical plants - and I just spent my time marvelling them. Poor Amira had to bring my lunch out and hunt me down. I do wish I had my sketch book I would’ve loved to draw them!’ David eyes are sparkling and his face is stretched into a grin and their arms are still linked as they walk, Matteo hears himself speak before registering what he is saying ‘my fathers fourth and seventh wives were both artists I will have someone find their old supply’s for you.’ It’s worth it for how David’s face gets impossibly brighter.

Before he can respond they reach the dining hall and sit at either ends of a banquet table meant to sit 15 on each side. ‘I can hardly see you from down here my lord, I’d move closer but I’m afraid of messing up the order of all these forks. Next time you’ll have to seat me closer.’ Matteo tries to form a response but all his head is providing is a chant of ‘next time next time next time’ but he is saved by the first course being brought in. 

... 

They are having a breather in between courses four and pudding slumped low in their chairs and sleepy from all the food the conversation that had been flowing so easily earlier lapsing into a comfortable silence. After a while of this however Matteo decides to broach the question that’s been eating at him since David arrived here laced up in that silly dress. 

‘So, I have been wondering, how on earth was your mother so utterly convinced you were a girl? I mean no offence if she is delusional or if it is a side effect of the grief and stress accompanied by becoming a widow but one has to wonder?’ He notices how david has clammed up and blanched sat up straighter in his chair the quiet turning bitter. ‘I understand if you don’t wish to air her dirty Laundry, my mother had issues but my father dealt with them by throwing her in a tower somewhere and loosing the key. I was eight.’ David still hasn’t said anything and sits stock still only mumbling a thanks when the pudding is set in-front of him. He doesn’t eat any. The tension in the air is an ugly palpable thing.

After five or so minutes of suffocating silence he decides to prod ‘David?’ And suddenly there is a clattering of a spoon hitting to floor and the loud scraping of David abruptly standing up, he stammers out ‘I am sorry, please excuse me my lord I do not feel to well all of a sudden.’ And then he’s gone with a little stiff bow sweeping out of the room with long hurried strides. As he shoves a last mouthful of treacle tart into his mouth Matteo wonders what he said wrong to offend to other man.

...

For the next week he sees hide nor hair of David, he refuses invitations to dinner and only lets Amira into his room with meals and any more art supplies that have been discovered laying around or have been bought from nearby towns. Matteo still doesn’t know what he’s done to warrant this and his heart hurts more than his head. The longer the silence lasts the worse he feels. 

His sadness turns to bitterness turns to heavy anger, his staff have noticed his worsening moods by this point and are giving him a wide berth and addressing him with the cold formality that he’d insisted upon in his human days. It hits him like a punch to the gut, he’s acting like he did when he was Prince Matteo. Angry and arrogant and sharp. He bolts his doors and doesn’t speak to anyone for four days. 

Jonas evidently grows tired of his persistent sulking, it’s been a week since he’s talked to David and he’s more of a wreck than he’s been in years. When Jonas knocks persistently for fifteen minutes he grows sick of the noise and picks himself up off his bed and wrenches the door open, ‘what do you want Jonas.’ Jonas takes a long look at him sighs and shoulders himself into the room choking on the smoke thick air wrenching open the curtains and flinging the windows open. 

‘You look a wreck sire.’ He knows he does, he’s been in the same loose cotton pants for four days now and his thick robe stinks of the smoke billowing from the lit pip dangling from his mouth that he’s been relentlessly puffing on for three days now. Jonas sighs again as he gives the air a proper sniff ‘you’ve been cutting your tobacco with opium again haven’t you?’ His tone is thick with resigned disapproval that makes him throw himself back on his bed. 

‘It helps with the headaches’ it’s a thin excuse that Jonas sees right through ‘I’m sorry’ at this Jonas starts to go round the room gathering half rotting plates of food and other rubbish piling dirty clothing to be taken to be washed beckoning in some others to start sweeping broken objects smashed in fits of rage off the floor, someone starts to dust and another lights a fire in the grate as Jonas herds him of to have a bath. ‘You smell like you’ve been through hell and then bathed in rotting meat, have a bath before I take offence to the smell.’ 

He does as he is told. 

...

After he’s sat in the great armchair in his study Jonas across from him playing a silent game of chess together, he’s in fresh clothing and he’s washed and for the first time in a week he feels almost normal. ‘This is not a healthy way to deal with your depressive episodes sire, you should tell us before it gets this bad. I would also like to know where you got the cut tobacco I thought I destroyed it all after last time?’ He laughs for the first time in days at this, it’s bitter and a little sad. ‘I’ve been growing poppies on the roof of my tower.’ Jonas sighed again, fondly annoyed. 

‘You know you won’t feel better until you talk to him right, Amira told me he wanted to talk to you but you’ve been shut away in the only part of the castle you forbid him to go.’ He shrugs and moves a pawn to take one of Jonas’ bishops. ‘I was in no state for talking anyway, how is he?’ It is Jonas’ turn to shrug this time ‘I have no idea the only person he’s been talking to is Amira, checkmate.’ He looks at the board and Jonas is right. He really has no options left. 

...

He only knocks once on David’s door before it is flung open. David’s white shirt is covered in paint and so are his black trousers, he’s bare foot and breathless. ‘Amira, Amira told me that you were coming.’ They shuffle in awkwardness. ‘May I come in?’ David startles as if just remembering he’s stood in the doorway. ‘Oh of course sorry, sorry.’ 

He lowers himself into an armchair set in front of David’s fireplace and David doesn’t sit at all, he’s slowly pacing back and forth. ‘Are you angry at me? Did I say something?’ David freezes ‘of course not my lord, it just something you said reminded me of something is all.’ This just confuses Matteo more.

‘A secret?’

‘A skeleton more like.’ David is talking around a chuckle and suddenly laughter is bubbling out of his mouth. ‘God this is all so stupid, I really have no idea why this is so hard. It’s not like I should care what you think of me but that’s the problem I do! I care so much!’ David is halfway to hysterical now and all Matteo can do is listen as he laughs and shouts. There are tears rolling down his face. ‘I should tell you a story my lord, once upon a time there was a little girl but she felt so wrong all the damned time. Her mother dressed her like a dolly and her father died before she knew what a father was. It’s not until she was older and educated that she read her fathers journals and the books he’d collected on his travels. Read the myths and legends of other cultures and religions about souls being put in the wrong vessels that she understood anything about herself! She was not a little girl at all, her body may have been but she was not! She burnt all her dresses and cut off all her hair and told her mother she only had two daughters and screamed at her mother when she laughed and told her that she was delusional and wrong!’ David has stopped laughing and is properly shouting now tears flowing like rivers. 

‘No body believed her, thought the little girl was silly scoffed when she said her name was wrong and her body was wrong and that they were all wrong! They did not believe her! Forced her into dresses and wigs, told her to shut up and act like the lady they knew she was, told her when she was married with children she would realise she was wrong. She was burning up but they refused to see that she was on fucking fire!’ He’s shaking and Matteo is for the first time in a long time, scared. ‘After a while she got tired, bent to their will because there was no use in anything anymore. You can’t burn the building down if it does not believe in fire! And then her mother told her she was going to live with a beast, said she traded her life in to save her own! Said that after all the stupidity she’d put them through this was appropriate penance! And then this man that was not a man looked at her and saw the little girl in ashes around his feet. Took her by the arm and saw only a boy sat their. And he thought it would be better, it was funny to him living with a man that looked like a monster was somehow better than living with monsters who look like men.’ He fees like he should say something, anything, but stays silent and watches as David burns. 

‘And this monster was charming and funny and everything was so easy, but the boy was stupid. He should’ve know that questions would be asked eventually. It was his mistake to believe this would be simple and an easy do over! So there you go! Now you know, here you have all my skeletons laid fucking bare! Are you going to force me into a dress my lord? Make me grow out my hair or wear a wig? Call me lady call me Diana? Do you believe me?’ He stands up so they are facing each other, David’s chest is heaving and tears are still flooding his face dripping off his nose and chin onto the floor. 

‘I, I am not going to pretend for a minute that I understand you at all. However, I have no reason not to trust you at your word. Look at me right now and tell me your name and I will believe you.’ David looks at him like he’s a puzzle he can’t figure out. 

‘My name is David’ Matteo quirks his lips into a smile and sticks out his hand. ‘It is nice to meet you lord David, I would like to show you something.’ He offers David his arm and a hesitant smile. He takes both. 

There’s a stabbing pain in his gut, a petal falls.  
... 

He leads David running through the halls until he stops them in front of large frosted glass doors. ‘I think, it’s only fair that I give you a secret in exchange for yours.’ David is smiling again and even though his face is red and puffy from crying it’s the nicest thing Matteo has ever seen, he unlocks the door and pushes David in. 

It’s a large greenhouse full to the brim with Matteo’s rarest plants and flowers and some that he’s created himself. The smell is intoxicatingly strong and there are small lights dancing in the air provided by the bioluminescent petals of the giant tree that is in the middle of the room. David is stunned. ‘It is, it’s is breathtaking my lord. My father would’ve loved it here. I love it here.’ Matteo chuckles. ‘Then it is yours, I barely come down here anymore, I think it would be a good place for you to paint.’ 

David looks stunned and stunning as he twirls around in the sunlit room, glowing petals landing in his hair. Barefoot and covered in paint he looks etherial, like some sort of nature god. Matteo’s breath hitches. ‘And what may I ask is the catch, gifts like this are not given without strings attached my lord.’ This is his chance. 

‘There is only one catch, have dinner with me tonight?’ David’s laugh is shocked and bright. 

‘Of course!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around, next part will probably be the last one unless I decide to chop it into two. Not sure as of yet so watch this space! 
> 
> Comment if I have missed any important tags / grammar mistakes, kudos’ are always appreciated! 
> 
> Have a great day/night xxx


	3. Dance me to death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walk to the foyer seems to take 100 years and 10 seconds at the same time, it’s him this time left idling at the bottom of the staircase waiting for David to appear. And god what a sight he is, much like Matteo his shirt and pants are plain both in a dazzling white with long brown boots but his jacket and waistcoat, well. If Matteo has thought the embroidery on his was elaborate this was something else, gold thread spiralled over the yellow-gold fabric in simmering floral patterns on the jacket and ones closer to the vine like patterns on his own across the waistcoat. He had on white gloves and a shy grin and Matteo felt vaguely winded for a moment and unable to say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, so this is over a week late but I do have my reasons. My WiFi decided it no longer wanted to work for more than like a minute at a time with the slowest connection possible and we have only just got it fixed couple that with my google docs not saving leading me to have to redo this seven, yes seven, times it’s been a bit of a hectic week so if anything seems a bit rushed that’s why. Never the less WiFi is fixed google docs has cooperated and the final instalment is here!
> 
> (I completely invented a dude for the Gaston character and he’s there for less than a second so I’m not gonna even bother tagging an oc)

If it’s at all possible Matteo feels even more nervous now than he did the first time. Things between them are still weirdly raw and new and he really doesn’t want to mess this up. Hans had been re-enlisted and attacked his appearance with even more fervour than before. His shirt is simple and white with a ruffles collar negating the need for a tie and his trousers are neatly pressed in a dashing royal blue, it’s the waistcoat and jacket that are really something else. The jacket has heavy gold buttons surrounded by elaborate decorative embroidery in gold threading that carries on on the front of the waistcoat and on the pockets of the waistcoat. When he turn there are two golden buttons on the back surrounded by embroidery turning them into golden roses. It is gorgeous. 

‘Hans, you really have outdone yourself this time.’ Hans all but preens under the attention. ‘It’s nothing my butterfly, only three straight days of work, nothing at all.’ He laughs and claps him on the shoulder and turns to face Jonas ‘well, this is it.’ Jonas fixes him with a mockingly serious look ‘you’ll do great, I’m very proud of you.’ And he quickly exits before he hits his best friend in the face. 

The walk to the foyer seems to take 100 years and 10 seconds at the same time, it’s him this time left idling at the bottom of the staircase waiting for David to appear. And god what a sight he is, much like Matteo his shirt and pants are plain both in a dazzling white with long brown boots but his jacket and waistcoat, well. If Matteo has thought the embroidery on his was elaborate this was something else, gold thread spiralled over the yellow-gold fabric in simmering floral patterns on the jacket and ones closer to the vine like patterns on his own across the waistcoat. He had on white gloves and a shy grin and Matteo felt vaguely winded for a moment and unable to say anything. 

‘My lord? You look dashing tonight.’ This snapped him out of the trance like state he was in and back to reality, ‘you do as well, shall we.’ David took his arm again and let himself be led to the dining room even though he knew the way by this point. The implications of this did absolutely nothing to him, at all.

Matteo was still seated at the head of the table but this time the second setting was too his immediate right and not down the other end, David smiled as he sat down. ‘You remembered, now I can actually hold a conversation with you without feeling like I have to shout!’ He gave David a smile of his own and they lapsed into comfortable chatter as the dishes were brought out. 

‘You already know about my horrid family, why don’t you tell me about yours?’ They were on the third course now, some amalgamation of meat and vegetables that was very nice and very filling, when David surprised him with the question. He may or may not have almost chocked on an errant potato. 

‘My family? For years it was just me and mother and father, up until I was ten maybe, and then my mother started acting strange and irrational. She would become very depressed some days and then near manic the next, no doctor my father called could really help her. And then one day she tried to throw herself off one of the towers.’ He hears David’s little gasp but soldiers on ‘after that father had her locked away, I never saw her again. He then went through a string of eight wives until he died when I was eighteen which was what, four years ago now. Then I was cursed and the memory of my family was wiped from the minds of the masses. I resented him for the longest time, I don’t really know how to look on his memory with anything but contempt.’ David looks at him for a minute before lifting his glass.

‘Here’s to terrible family’s hey?’ He brings their glasses together with a soft clink. 

...

After dinner they spend an appropriate digestion period filled with colourful chatter and easy conversations that have Matteo feeling like he’s full of air and one breath away from flying towards the ceiling. He offers his arm to David again. ‘I have one more surprise for you my lord.’ David takes his arm.

He leads him further into the the winding halls of the castle and through a overly ornate pair of doors into a ballroom, there’s a string quartet set up playing soft melodies. He turns to face David and offers him a hand. ‘May I have this dance my lord.’ David just grins and takes his hand with an enthusiastic nod. 

The quartet strike up into a lively waltz and David let’s him lead, a smart move since he’s eight feet tall with hooves. They swirl around the room in a fast paced waltz matching grins David’s face flushed a too pretty red, all Matteo can do is stare and stare and stare. He could spend eternity in here waltzing around the ballroom with David, tailcoats swirling around better than the finest of skirts boots tapping softly on the lacquered floor. He was stupidly happy. 

All of a sudden David’s talking as they whisk around the room. ‘Do you believe in fate my lord?’ It’s an odd question, ask him four years ago and he would’ve scoffed in your face but now. Now is different. 

‘I would like to, but fate has not been kind to me.’

... 

After they dance through three more songs he leads David running through the castle halls laughing so hard his lungs could burst until they’re in the greenhouse collapsed onto one of the benches. ‘I think fate is being a little kinder to me these days, I feel more human than I have in years.’ David’s grin flickers. ‘My lord, you are all human to me. You said too me that if I told you my name you would believe me, I would like to extend the same courtesy to you if you’d let me.’ He nods minutely.

‘So then, what is your name?’

‘I am prince Matteo Florenzi, it is my greatest pleasure to meet you my lord.’ He grabs up David’s hand and kisses the back of it. ‘It would be my great pleasure to get to know you better, I have a feeling I could really like you.’ David let’s put a burst of his bright laughter that throws Matteo through loops.

‘The pleasure is all mine your highness.’ He’s so happy the pain in his gut doesn’t even dampen his mood. 

...

Autumn turns to winter and everything is covered in a thick blanket of snow, there are no intrusions on his property at this time of year since the only people versed well enough in travelling the dense forests around his property in the harsh conditions are him and his staff. This means a steady food supply and quiet days in which he can do anything he likes. 

Normally he would spend the winter time sat out in his gardens or his greenhouse looking a the snowy landscape reading peacefully his mind more at ease than any other time of year, now however he has a near constant companion in David. 

He spends his mornings in the greenhouse watching him draw and paint the rare and wonderful flowers and plants or he sets up and easel near the giant windows and paints the snow covered landscapes in shades of blinding white and soft blues. Afternoons they bundle up in thick furs and heavy boots and go riding around the grounds and eat picnics in snow drifts, they ball up snow and throw it at each other until the peaceful air is shattered with indignant squawks and gleeful laughter. At night they bundle up in heavy pyjamas and hole up in the library with books with ridiculous titles and coax the fire as high and bright as they dare. Matteo is absurdly happy. 

...

Its edging on spring when the next petal falls, only two left, and the pain of it wracks through him and makes him collapse at the breakfast table. He passes out and wakes to David stood over him looking very worried ‘your highness are you alright? What happened.’ He doesn’t know how to explain this so he pulls himself to his feet and clasps David’s Hand. 

‘I have another thing to show you.’

He leads David through the castle to the base of the north tower and then up the winding staircase to Matteo’s chambers. It was obvious that David had more questions than he could process but they both stayed silent until they were stood in-front of the rose now only sporting two petals. 

‘I was cursed by a witch for my vanity some four years ago now she said that I took my looks and status for granted and used people, she was right, she cursed me to be a beast and removed from the memories of everyone but my staff for ever unless I could find someone to love me before the last petal falls off this rose. There has never been any hope before but now ...’ 

There’s a little smile on David’s face ‘but now’ 

...

The next petal falls at the proper beginning of spring, the gardens are beginning to flourish again and they are spending as much time outside as possible in the fledgling sunlight and lessening chill. With everyday they can take off a layer of heavy furs and before long David can set up his easel outside and has taken to drawing Matteo as he lazes out in the grass. It is too good to last.

The petal falling knocks him out for two hours and when he comes too he’s in his bed with David sat next to him hands clasped over his a grave look on his face, Abdi is stood over him clasping a letter. ‘You should read this my lord.’ The letter is penned in overly curly script on ridiculously embossed paper. It reads : 

Beast,  
It came to our attention a while ago that you being the savage brute we know you to be have captured the fair lady Diana and are keeping her against her will locked up in your dungeons. I demand you return her back to me today or I will be launching an assault on your castle. 

She is very sick at the moment but her mother has agreed to marry her to me when we get her back which will fix her she will be pleased to know I’m sure, so be warned savage I will stop at nothing getting my bride back from your clutches. 

Yours hostilely,  
Otto Meyer 

David was very pale and spoke in a shaky voice ‘Otto has been obsessed with me for years, obsessed with fixing me.’ He spits the last words in a tone that is pure acid. Matteo squeezes his hand ‘you’re not going anywhere. 

...

He doesn’t know how he got here, well no he does but it’s still surprising in the least. Otto is dead, probably, he doesn’t know of a human who would survive the fall out off of the north tower. Now he’s stood in the grand foyer as townsfolk and farmers attack his staff with pitchfork and torch as he attempts to shove David into his mothers outstretched arms. He can feel himself becoming more feral, he needs David out of here before the last petal falls. 

‘I need you to go David, I can’t hurt you but once that petal falls it’s all bets off. I will go feral and I could hurt you. Please leave.’ He sounds rather pathetic but he’s two seconds away from grovelling on his knees at this point. David’s eyes are blazing with fire and fury. 

‘You are a selfish prick Matteo you know that? Have you not taken into account what I want? I might not want to leave you leave here, especially not with my bigoted mother and her like minded friends!’ Matteo is back to pleading.

‘Please David, I don’t know why you are still here you need to -‘ Matteo slaps him to cut him off.

‘Shut up you stupid great oaf! I am still here because I love you, you daft idiot! What do I have to say to get that through your thick skull!’ Everything goes silent almost frozen in time as everything explodes into golden light around Matteo’s goofy grin. 

When the light recedes stood where the beast once was is a man, a prince, a king. King Matteo Florenzi. He rushes forwards to grab at David, ‘you really meant it, you really love me?’ David snorts and it’s more than a little patronising. ‘I think your appearance is evidence enough’ Matteo grabs his neck and hauls him in for a searing kiss ‘I love you too if you couldn’t tell.’ 

There’s a polite little cough from behind him and David’s mother is stood looking horrified ‘your highness I am sorry for my daughter she is very out of bounds, Diana come here and stop harassing the prince’ the last bit comes out in a high pitched hiss. 

Matteo fixes on his best political forced smile and turns on her ‘I would kindly ask you to leave my property and show lord David the proper respect due nobility since you are now very much not, I as prince well king now of the land you have been given to lord over revoke those privileges. You have a week to find other accommodation before your turned out onto the streets.’ He ignored her shocked and paled face and turns back to David. 

‘Marry me my lord?’ His smile is cheeky and David’s is the same sunny bright he’s come to utterly adore. 

‘Of course your highness, I do expect a ring however if I am to be the kings consort and all.’ And Matteo realises this is so, so much better than anything he had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed this, it’s my first work in this fandom and hopefully not my last. Who knows maybe I’ll do more fairytales? 
> 
> If you’ve stuck around this far thanks for sticking through! 
> 
> Have a great day/night

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, I have chapter two completed and I just need to edit it so it should be up tomorrow and the last will hopefully be up on Monday since I only have like one bit left to write. 
> 
> Comment if I missed anything that should be tagged or if you spot any grammar errors, kudos’ are always appreciated!
> 
> Have a great day/night xxx


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